The full House will get its first look today at $18.5 billion budget proposal that slashes spending across state government, but spares several programs by including $780 million in new taxes.
The House budget bill made it through a key committee late Wednesday after a contentious debate in which Republicans franticly tried to stop Democrats from using a parliamentary maneuver designed to fend off any changes to the budget proposal.
The Democrats changed the title of the bill to an unwieldy recitation of all the taxes the budget would raise. House rules say amendments can’t be contrary to the title of a bill, which means removing the taxes would be tough.
House Republicans have stood firmly against any new taxes. Democrats have been divided over the issue with supporters saying the taxes are needed to avoid painful cuts to education and social services. The state is facing a $4 billion deficit.
"We had very egregious cuts that a lot of us on both sides of the aisle had trouble with," said Hugh Holliman, the House majority leader and a Lexington Democrat.
Rep. Paul Stam, an Apex Republican and the House minority leader, protested the Democrats’ late move to cut off substantial changes.
"It spends too much. It taxes too much. We’re in a deep recession. We shouldn’t be doing this," Stam said. "It will hurt the economy of the state."
The debate gets testy after the jump.
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The Democrats who control the House said they want the chamber to vote on a budget this week to leave plenty of time to negotiate a finished product with the Senate before the next fiscal year begins July 1.
Republicans tried to stop the change to the bill title because it would close off any real chance to admend the bill on the House floor.
Rep. Pryor Gibson, a Wadesboro Democrat and Finance Committee chairman, frustrated attempts by Republicans to intervene.
"Is the chair ruling that I can't even state my motion?" asked Rep. Johnathan Rhyne, a Lincolnton Republican.
Yes, Gibson replied.
Rep. Dale Folwell, a Winston-Salem Republican, complained that the Democrats were pushing a vote on a major tax increase and that members should have the weekend to talk to constituents. Folwell complained about a comment from Speaker Joe Hackney earlier this week that since Republicans were not in favor of the proposed cuts or taxes, they were shirking their duty to balance the budget.
"There's nothing in the North Carolina constitution or nothing that I raised my right hand to that said we have to agree with your cuts and your tax increases," Folwell said.
The vote came after hours of a stop-and-start meeting. Gibson warned committee members early on that they were in for a rough ride.
"For those that are new to this process, particularly at this time of year, this is not unusual. It’s very uncomfortable and very cumbersome," Gibson said. "But that’s how democracy works. Sometimes it just ain’t pretty."
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